The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)-funded Propcom+ programme has launched a new initiative to promote climate-smart agriculture and women’s economic empowerment by providing the Mata Zalla Cooperative Society in Kano with electric vehicles for rural agro-cargo transportation across Northern Nigeria.
The initiative, known as the Mata Zalla Small Agro Logistics Service, seeks to connect smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, to markets through clean, affordable, and efficient logistics solutions. The project supports the transition to sustainable transport systems while boosting agricultural productivity and green economic growth.
A beneficiary of the initiative, 30-year-old tricycle operator Mary Micheal from Kano, described the support as life-changing. She said the introduction of electric vehicles would help reduce transportation costs, boost her income, and improve farmers’ access to markets. “I will continue conveying passengers with my tricycle, while the electric vehicles will be used to move farm produce. This will make transportation cheaper and strengthen our local economy since most Kura residents are farmers,” she said.
The President of Mata Zalla Cooperative Society, Hajiya Hauwa Ahmed, explained that the initiative has transformed what began as a small women-led group into a driving force for sustainable transport and inclusive growth. “With support from Propcom+, our goal is to reduce post-harvest losses, increase farmers’ income, and promote green economic growth while creating decent jobs for women and youth. Empowering women economically is not just a social cause it’s an economic necessity,” she said.
Propcom+ Country Director, Dr Adiya Ode, noted that the project builds on earlier successes from the UK-funded LINKS Programme, where Mata Zalla women first operated electric tricycles in Kano with financing support from a Bank. She said the new initiative would reduce reliance on combustion engines, promote clean energy adoption, and enhance women’s participation in the agricultural value chain. “Propcom+ remains committed to improving the incomes and climate resilience of 3.79 million Nigerians, half of whom will be women by 2030,” she stated.
